Rider’s Guide to New/Updated Street Motorcycles for 2018

This handy guide includes all new or significantly updated street-legal motorcycles for the 2018 model year (we snuck in a few early-release 2019 models too). Organized in alphabetical order by manufacturer, it includes photos and links to details or, when available, road tests about each bike. This guide will be updated as more new/updated models are announced, and when we’ve had a chance to ride them and report our impressions.

BMW has throughly updated its F-series adventure bikes, with a larger 853cc engine with a new firing interval and dual counterbalancers (claimed output is 77 horsepower in the street-oriented F 750 GS), new electronics, updated styling and more. Price is TBD.

BMW has throughly updated its F-series adventure bikes, with a larger 853cc engine with a new firing interval and dual counterbalancers (claimed output is 95 horsepower in the off-road-oriented F 850 GS), new electronics, updated styling and more. Price is TBD.

Based on the G 310 R (see below), this wee GS has the same 313cc, 34-horsepower single and styling that’s a spitting image of the globetrotting R 1200 GS. First announced in late 2016, production delays bumped it to the 2018 model year. It has a base price of $5,695 (including switchable ABS). Check out our first ride review.

This is BMW’s first foray into the sub-500cc roadster segment. The little naked bike is powered by a 313cc single that makes a claimed 34 horsepower, and it weighs just 349 pounds. Announced in late 2016 with a press launch in December, production delays bumped it to the 2018 model year. MSRP is $4,750 (including ABS).

A blacked-out bagger based on the 6-cylinder, 160-horsepower K 1600 GT sport-touring platform. We rode it at the press launch in Asheville, North Carolina, and then rode it more than 3,000 miles through 14 states in 5 days for a thorough tour test. MSRP starts at $19,999.

If the K 1600 B bagger above appeals to you but you’d like one with a trunk, then the K 1600 Grand America is for you. It not only adds a trunk with a passenger backrest but also a taller windscreen, standard footboards and a higher level of standard equipment for long-haul, two-up touring. MSRP starts at $23,195.

Built in China by Zongshen, the San Gabriel is a café racer with an air-cooled, 16.1-horsepower (claimed), 250cc, single-cylinder engine, a 5-speed transmission and spoked wheels. Weighing just 270 pounds, the San Gabriel has a low seat height and is available direct from CSC for just $1,995 with free shipping in the lower 48 states.

This tribute to Ducati’s twin-cylinder World Superbike legacy claims to be the most powerful production twin-cylinder motorcycle in history, with a claimed 209 horsepower, harnessed to “the most advanced aluminum monocoque chassis.” Want to add one to your collection? The Panigale 1299 R Final Edition is shipping to U.S. dealers in limited quantities with an MSRP of $39,900.

Ducati’s “supermid” 959 Panigale sportbike will be offered in a special Corse version for 2018. Its powered by the 955cc Superquadro L-twin as the standard 959 Panigale, but it gets Öhlins suspension and steering damper, titanium Akrapovič silencers and a lithium-ion battery, saving 5 pounds of weight. MSRP is $17,595.

The 803cc Desmodue air-cooled L-twin powered Monster 797 is being replaced for 2018 with the Monster 797+, which is essentially the same bike with a headlight fairing and pillion seat cover added on at no additional cost. MSRP starts at $9,295.

Introduced for 2015 and updated for 2018, the middleweight Monster 821 is now Euro4 compliant (claimed engine output is down a bit) and it gets a styling refresh, a new full-color TFT display and an optional up/down quickshifter. MSRP starts at $11,995.

Ducati’s very popular Multistrada line, which introduced the “4 bikes in 1” concept for sport, touring, urban and enduro riding, gets a displacement bump from 1,198cc to 1,262cc for its Testastretta DVT L-twin, chassis and suspension updates, and more. Its available in standard, S and Pikes Peak variants. MSRP starts at $18,695.

For 2018, the Multistrada 950 Touring package will be available as a factory option. The Touring model joins the standard Multistrada 950 in Ducati’s lineup and includes color matched locking side cases and a centerstand. The standard model is available in dealers now, with the Touring shipping in December 2017. MSRP for the Touring model starts at $13,995.

As the 1299 Panigale Final Edition above indicates, Ducati is moving from a traditional V-twin in its Panigale superbike to a V4. This new bike makes a claimed 214 horsepower, weighs just 436 pounds wet and has an 1.1:1 horsepower-to-kilogram ratio. But there’s much more, and its available in standard and two up-spec versions, the Panigale V4 S and Panigale V4 Speciale. MSRP is $39,995.

With its many colors, styles and variations, Ducati’s Scrambler has been the most fun, playful model in years. And now it comes in a liter-plus size, based on the old Monster 1100, with increased power, new electronics and more. The Scrambler 1100 is available in standard, Special and Sport variants. MSRP starts at $12,995.

The new Scrambler Mach 2.0 was created in collaboration with Roland Sands, and its design echoes the SoCal atmosphere of the 1970s with a distinctive color scheme, larger gas tank, low handlebars and flat-track inspired seat. MSRP is $10,795.

For 2018, all Softail models (the family now includes former Dyna models such as the Fat Bob, Low Rider and Street Bob) will be powered by a dual-counterbalanced version of the Milwaukee-Eight V-twin (107ci or 114ci with oil-cooled heads) that’s rigidly mounted in a new lighter, stiffer steel frame. They also feature new Showa suspension, updated styling and more. The Pro Street-styled Breakout starts at $18,999, is available in 107ci or 114ci and features a fat 240mm rear tire, standard ABS and a smooth-top 3.5-gallon tank with hidden digital riser gauge.

CVO stands for Custom Vehicle Operations, which is Harley-Davidson’s top-of-the-line factory custom division. The CVO Limited is a premium touring machine boasting claimed best-in-class power, stunning paint and the ultimate in rider and passenger comfort. It’s also equipped with the BOOM! Box 6.5GT infotainment system, remote locking luggage, a tire pressure monitoring system and a Tour-Pak carrier LED bezel, LED indicators and an LED light surround. It’s available in two must-be-seen-to-be-appreciated colors: Burgundy Cherry Sunglo Fade and Black Earth Fade. MSRP starts at $42,949.

With bold, futuristic styling, the new Fat Bob (formerly part of the Dyna family but now a Softail) starts at $16,999, is available in 107ci or 114ci and features an upside-down fork, dual-disc front brakes and a 3.6-gallon tank.

One of the new-for-2018 Softails, the one-of-a-kind Fat Boy starts at $18,999, is available in 107ci or 114ci and features standard ABS, Lakester solid disc wheels shod with 160mm front/240mm rear tires and a 5-gallon tank.

One of two ’70s-era influenced Sportsters introduced for 2018, the Forty-Eight Special is powered by a 1,200cc Evo V-twin, has striped retro graphics on the 2.2-gallon “peanut” tank, a beefy front end and a gloss-black, 7.25-inch high Tallboy handlebar. MSRP starts at $11,299.

The tourer among the new-for-2018 Softails, the Heritage Classic is available in 107ci or 114ci and comes with standard cruise control and ABS, a new detachable windscreen, lockable, sealed, water-resistant saddlebags, taller suspension, more load capacity and a 5-gallon tank. MSRP starts at $18,999.

The second ’70s-era influenced Sportsters introduced for 2018, the Iron 1200 is powered by a 1,200cc Evo V-twin, has striped retro graphics on the 3.3-gallon tank, a Mini Ape handlebar, a gloss black speed screen and a fast-back Café Solo Seat that holds the rider. MSRP starts at $9,999.

At the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, Harley-Davidson unveiled the 9th member of the Softail family, the new Sport Glide with a quick-release fairing and saddlebags. Love those Mantis wheels! Pricing starts at $18,599.

With mini-ape handlebars and a custom look, the Street Bob (formerly part of the Dyna family but now a Softail) starts at $14,499 and features the 107ci Milwaukee-Eight, a 3.5-gallon tank and a hidden digital gauge.

Honda has updated its best-selling adventure touring bike, the Africa Twin, for 2018, with improvements to the engine, electronics, ergonomics and more. It has also added a new version that’s equipped for long-haul touring. The new CRF1000L2 Africa Twin Adventure Sports has a larger gas tank, taller suspension, more wind protection, a bigger skid plate, crash bars and much more. MSRP for the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports is $14,999 with a 6-speed manual transmission and $15,699 with a Dual Clutch Transmission with automatic and pushbutton manual shifting.

A long time coming, the venerable Gold Wing—Honda’s flagship motorcycle for more than four decades—has finally been updated. Available in two versions, the standard Gold Wing “bagger” and the Gold Wing Tour with a trunk and cushy passenger accommodations, the quintessential luxury touring has been thoroughly reworked from the ground up and is now much lighter and more sophisticated. MSRP starts at $23,500 for the Gold Wing (no trunk) and $26,700 for the Gold Wing Tour (with trunk).

New to Indian’s Chieftain family is the Chieftain Classic (starting at $23,999) that features a 16-inch front wheel with the iconic valanced front fender, a genuine leather seat with fringe, the Ride Command infotainment system and much more. (Although “Classic” has been added to the model name, it’s essentially what the standard Chieftain used to be; for 2018, the standard Chieftain will run a 19-inch front wheel with an open fender.) The Chieftain Classic is available in three colors: Indian Motorcycle Red, Thunder Black Pearl and Star Silver Smoke.

As Indian’s top-of-the-line bagger, the 2018 Chieftain Elite gets special high-flake Black Hills Silver paint and marbled graphics. A truly custom paint treatment, a team of experts mask the bodywork, lay the graphics and hand-spray each Chieftain Elite. Each bike takes nearly 25 hours to complete, and no two bikes will look the same due to the level of human touch involved. The Chieftain Elite gets a wish list of factory-custom touches and standard features. MSRP starts at $31,499.

For 2018, Indian’s mid-sized Scout cruiser, which is powered by a liquid-cooled, 1,133cc V-twin with DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder that makes a claimed 100 horsepower and 72 lb-ft of torque, gets an updated look and improved performance. Now standard are a cartridge fork front suspension and Pirelli tires, along with passenger accommodations, including a genuine leather passenger pillion and pegs. Starting at $11,499, the Scout receives two new colors for 2018, Metallic Jade and Willow Green over Ivory Cream.

Inspired by motorcycles stripped-down and hot-rodded by young veterans after World War II, the new Scout Bobber takes a dark, less-is-more approach to styling. There’s less chrome and fewer shiny bits, the fenders have been clipped and the riding position is more aggressive, with a longer reach to the tracker-style handlebar but a shorter reach to footpegs and controls. The non-adjustable fork offers the same 4.7 inches of travel, but it now has a cartridge design for better compliance. MSRP starts at $11,499.

The Springfield line now includes a Dark Horse variant, a blacked-out, toughed-up bagger, starting at $20,999. Similar to Indian’s other Dark Horse models, the Springfield Dark Horse features matte black paint with gloss black details. It also features an open fender to showcase the new 19-inch ten-spoke, blacked-out front wheel, and its quick-release windshield features a blacked-out bracket.

We finally learned what “Supercharge Your Journey” means, with the supercharged Ninja H2 SX, featuring a revised supercharger lifted from the H2 ultra-bike. Practical? Who cares, we still want to take one for a ride! MSRP starts at $19,000.

Inspired by Kawasaki’s legendary Z1 superbike from the early ’70s, the Z900RS is based on the Z900 sport standard but has spot-on retro styling (including an optional root beer and orange paint job), more relaxed ergonomics and a smoother engine. MSRP starts at $10,999.

Based on the Z900RS,the Cafe version adds a front cowl, a black drop-style handlebar, a cafe racer-style seat with more pronounced hump, a brushed muffler and lime green paint with white racing stripes. MSRP is $11,499.

2018 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

2018 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

At the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, KTM North America announced its 2018 lineup, which includes the new 1290 Super Adventure S. Based on the off-road-focused 1290 Super Adventure R that debuted for 2017, the S model has the same 160-horsepower, 1,301cc V-twin but trades the R’s big spoked wheels for 19-/17-inch cast wheels, the manually adjustable suspension for semi-active suspension and other changes to make it street-ready.

Royal Enfield ups its game for 2018 with a new 648cc parallel twin. One of the first models to get it is the Continental GT, with classic café racer styling and what we hope will be a sub-$7,000 price. Details will follow in spring 2018.

If you’re going to ride into the thin air of northern Indian and Nepal, bagging passes at 18,000 feet, you’re not going to ride an expensive, heavy, complicated motorcycle. You’re going to ride something affordable, lightweight and bulletproof, a bike like the Royal Enfield Himalayan, which is purpose-built for riding in the mountains after which it’s named. Powered by an all-new, air-cooled, 411cc single and boasting ample suspension travel and ground clearance, the Himalayan costs just $4,499 and hits U.S. dealerships in April.

The Interceptor of the 1960s was known as “Britain’s Lost Twin,” since Royal Enfield went under shortly after its launch. Now the Interceptor is back, powered by the new 648cc parallel twin. Details to follow in spring 2018.

The GSX-S750 is now a 50-state model, with engine tweaks, shorter final drive gearing for quicker acceleration, new traction control, Easy Start and Low RPM Assist systems, and new wheels. The GSX-S750Z has ABS and matte black paint. MSRP starts at $8,299.

Since being introduced for 2017, the Bonneville Bobber has become the top-selling model in Triumph’s lineup. In addition to its blacked-out styling, the new Black replaces the 19-inch front wheel with a 16-incher shod with a fat Avon Cobra tire, gets it a beefier, upgraded 47mm Showa cartridge fork and adds a second front brake disc. MSRP starts at $13,150.

Triumph has updated its iconic, bug-eyed streetfighter, the 1,050cc in-line triple-powered Speed Triple. Now available in top-spec RS and base-model S versions, it now boasts 148 horsepower and 83 lb-ft of torque. The Speed Triple RS features fully adjustable Öhlins suspension, cornering ABS and traction control, and other upgrades, while the Speed Triple S features fully adjustable Showa suspension. Both models have gotten a styling refresh, a full-color TFT display and more.

One of the last models in the Bonneville family to get upgraded to the new liquid-cooled engine, the Speedmaster cruiser is a fraternal twin of the Bonneville Bobber Black, sharing the same High Torque version of the 1,200cc parallel twin and the cage-style swingarm that gives the bike a hardtail look. Pricing starts at $13,150.

Formerly known as the FZ-07 in the U.S., the 689cc parallel twin-powered sport standard is now called the MT-07 (Master of Torque) globally. Updates for 2018 include stiffer suspension, a roomier rider and passenger seat, a redesigned tank cover and other styling updates and standard ABS. MSRP is $7,599.

This is certainly the most original new motorcycle, a two-wheels-in-front leaning trike powered by the 847cc Crossplane Concept in-line triple from the FZ-09. During the worls press launch in the Austrian Alps, the Niken was an absolute blast to ride, with a crazy amount of front-end grip and stability, made possible by the Ackermann dual-axis steering mechanism, cantilevered suspension system with two forks on each of the front two wheels and grippy tires. And yes, it’s coming to the U.S. in late 2018. Pricing is estimated to be $16,000.

A bagger based on the new-for-2018 Star Venture (see below), the Star Eluder foregoes the top trunk, passenger backrest, Sure-Park System (electric forward/reverse) and a few other amenities. MSRP starts at $22,499.

Yamaha has jumped back into the luxury-touring game in a big way with the all-new Star Venture. Although the new bike resurrects a legendary name, the old Venture’s liquid-cooled V-4 has been dropped in favor of an updated version of the air-cooled, 1,854cc V-twin from the Raider. Yamaha says the Star Venture is the “ultimate transcontinental touring motorcycle.” MSRP starts at $24,999.

The FJ-09 sport tourer has been updated for 2019 with fresh styling, a one-hand-adjustable windscreen, improved ergonomics and a longer swingarm, and it will henceforth go by the Euro-spec name Tracer 900 as “part of Yamaha’s ongoing initiative to unite the global community of Tracer riders who share the ‘Roads of Life.'” Available in June 2018 in Armor Gray for $10,699.

Joining the updated Tracer 900 is the up-spec Tracer 900 GT, a touring-ready model with saddlebags, a full-color TFT instrument panel, higher-spec suspension, a quickshifter, cruise control and heated grips. Available in June 2018 in Raven for $12,999.

Like the FZ-09-based XSR900 that was introduced for 2016, the new-for-2018 Yamaha XSR is based on the FZ-07 naked sportbike, which is powered by a 689cc Crossplane Concept parallel twin, and has neo-retro styling influenced by Yamaha’s XS series of motorcycles produced from the late ’60s to the 1980s. Pricing starts at $8,499.

3 COMMENTS

I also bought the February hard copy version of Rider and noticed that Suzuki wasn’t mentioned in New/Updated Street Motorcycles for 2018. Was this intentional or did I loose pages in the copy I purchased? Nice to see Suzuki here though, for a second I figured they’d folded . . .

We publish announcements about new motorcycles in the earliest possible issue. Suzuki announced its 2018 new/updated models very in early 2017 and we ran the announcement in the April 2017 issue (Kickstarts, page 17). The new/updated motorcycles in the February issue are those unveiled at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, in November 2017. Space is at a premium, so we don’t run new-model announcements multiple times.